Korg 707

Korg 707

Ok.... I'm gonna add all the old vintage synths... not that i've used them all myself.. but i'm gonna dd the spec's then people can add comments based on real-life use.... so , as i had nothing to do today, i thought i'd start to add them as basic page templates... then add the spec's later....so...

User Comments

well,i had korg 707 and i was quite happy with it...it sounded like yamaha dx-series...8-part multimbral,no efx but very nice "filter"-system...the filter had two envelopespeed-sliders and one envelope soft-hard slider...didn't send those slider moves through midi, so u could only use those in realtime...i made some awesome basslines with it...

This green beastie was released just before the M1, (1988? Anyone?) and yes, it is an FM synth, a sorta stripped down version of the DS-8 (The 707 _will_ read DS-8 cards/patches). For the most part, the presets blow, but you can get some nice organs/bells/DX7ish pianos typical of FM based synths. Also with some mild eq, you can create a bass monster out of it. The editing system is akin to their Prophecy, about 8 years earlier. Much easier to edit than those DX7's.

I got mine for about 200 bucks, and I wouldn't spend that much more for it. I use it mainly as a controller/weird fx synth. It has knobs on the side so you can be totally 80's and throw a guitar strap on.

Specs- 8 voice polyphony, can be put into 8 part multitimbral with each part mono.

2 outputs, A and B, can be used for stereo or routing layered tones.

Can be run off batteries, but has a wall-wart power supply. The display is backlit for those nighty-nighty shots.

Also there are 100 patches that are able to be over-written.

Quite an overlooked synth, as most people will just go for those big, ugly DX7's. Pick it up if you can.

i got one on the 25th dec from a friend i think its needs a new backup battery, as far as i have found on here its a 4 operater fm synth with 16 oscilliator midi in out thru, left right aux & phones, im having a shit of a time with it though as i cant find a manual, and cant up the factory presets via sysex - on 1040 ste, some of the bank work though and i can only say its clear and lo-fi (when u want) the slider r realtime, as far as i can tell, if u find anything mail me, ur my only hope!! a green, swindon, p.s. i payed £50 for it, what do u reckon its value in gwo is??? no site - sorry!

As the owner of a DS-8 (the big brother to the 707) I once looked at adding to my FM sound by picking up a 707. Although it programs nearly identically, it's missing the EFX that are built in to the DS-8, which takes away a bit of its character. Would be a fun synth to play live as a strap-on, but since the DS-8/707 are better with airy pads than meaty basses, I'm glad I held out.

I bought a Korg DS-8 in 1987 and a year later the 707 came out. The DS-8 cost me $1200 or so new, while the 707 was a bit under $1000. The 707 came in 4 different colors, and lacked some of the features that made the DS-8 such a killer 4-op synth -- dual oscillators for producing more complex tones, and an effects section that was pretty good for its age. By 1989 the M1 was all the rage and the DS-8 was dropped from the product mix. I ran an international users' group for the DS-8 & 707, and am reviving my old patches for those models which are available in sysex format from a cd I'm selling at my site: www.lo-res.com.

The 707 and DS-8 shared some FM technology brought in by Yamaha when they invested in Korg. Korg may have bought them out later, I'm not sure. Since they're 4-operator synths, they cannot produce all the sounds possible with a 6-op synth like the DX7/DX7 II. But they have a good keyboard feel and since the 707 was built as a "remote keyboard", the controls are set at an angle to make it easier to if you wear it like a guitar, Jan Hammer style. There are some good basses and pads for this synth, but due to its age and lack of samples, it stinks for realistic pianos and guitars. They both sell in the $200-$300 range on Ebay, and the red 707's are highly valued (although the white and blue ones may be more rare).

i really like the sounds the 707 churns out. you guys are right, with a little tweaking it can make some amazing basses/noises. i have one problem with mine: it's about 2 semitones out of tune. any thoughts? there's no tuning knob. i have been using it as a controller for live applications, but i would really like to have some of the weirtd sizzling stuff be in a proper tuning. i could always tune all the rest of my gear to it, but, c'mon. that's crap.

[quote] captainwow wrote: i really like the sounds the 707 churns out. you guys are right, with a little tweaking it can make some amazing basses/noises. i have one problem with mine: its about 2 semitones out of tune. any thoughts? theres no tuning knob. i have been using it as a controller for live applications, but i would really like to have some of the weirtd sizzling stuff be in a proper tuning. i could always tune all the rest of my gear to it, but, cmon. thats crap. [/quote]